Hot 100: The best places and dishes to eat in Victoria right now
From perfectly roasted duck to artisan cookies and a Big Mac-inspired pie, these is what foodies in the know are eating in Victoria — and why you should get in on the action, too.
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When the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival starts later this month, it will celebrate the best in all things dining and drinking.
As foodies get set to converge on the annual festival from March 19 to 29, they will be buzzing about the latest and greatest creators, tastes and venues on the culinary scene.
These are the hottest places, dishes, regions and events where those in the know are flocking to in 2020.
HOTTEST RESTAURANTS AND CAFES
FISH BY MOONLITE
While one of the Surf Coast’s best spots for a feed serves its last prawn and seaweed cracker this weekend (for now), Matt Germanchis and Gemma Gange’s Captain Moonlite lives on in the heart of Anglesea Village in the form of their new fresh fish and chip shop, Fish by Moonlite.
Offering fresh fish – filleted and whole – for home as well as fish and chips and arguably Victoria’s best potato cakes to take away, the store adds something that’s often missing in seaside resort towns – freshly caught Victorian fish.
And it comes with the added bonus of chef Germanchis on hand offering advice on how to cook it.
CARTER LOVETT
Carter Lovett is Elsternwick’s newest wine-dine playground of day-through-night delicious good times.
From the team behind Brighton’s much loved Saint Martins, the 60-seater – in which almost everything has been designed and made in Melbourne or Victoria – is joined by extensive streetside seating, perfect for sunny sips and long-light nights.
While breakfast is served until 3pm daily (chilli fried eggs; Cumberland sausage with zucchini relish; Dukes coffee) a lunch and dinner bistro menu features more elevated-yet-accessible fare.
Such dishes as Otway lamb neck with celeriac remoulade and whole rainbow trout are teamed with a tight worldly wine list, while an ox tongue cheeseburger riffs off the Glovers Station breakfast dish that developed a cult following. Do we love it? You bet.
WILD
Toby Waite and Brendan Jones (both ex Riverland Group) have taken over Castlemaine’s old fire station and turned it into their first venue, Wild.
Jones’ menu makes the most of central Victorian produce served across a range of approachable small plates – parfait with fig jam; devilled eggs with bacon – and larger proteins (roast chicken, wagyu scotch) while Waite’s wine list is an equally proud – and delicious – celebration of the region. Go wild.
DAIRY FLAT FARM
With an extensive kitchen garden, vineyard, established olive grove and an orchard of 350 heritage fruit trees – and luxurious six bedroom lodge with on-site concierge – Dairy Flat Farm in Daylesford is custom-built for escape-to-the-country dreams.
Of course, given it’s the latest project from the Wolf-Taskers of Daylesford’s Lake House, a stylish escape is exactly what’s on offer – if only for a few nights.
With an on-site bakehouse helmed by resident baker Michael James (ex Tivoli Road), wake to the scent of freshly baked bread and pastries. Now that’s carb loading with class.
CAMPBELL POINT HOUSE
It’s the ultimate weekender – a country manor to which it’d be rather nice to be born.
This luxurious waterfront estate is an ultra-private luxury boutique hotel hosting just 30 guests at any time.
But if your budget doesn’t quite blow out to cover overnight accommodation, the mansion is now open to those simply after a bite – whether a champagne high tea, or, better still, a multi-course degustation of prime Bellarine produce.
Chefs Corey Fowler (ex MoVida Lorne) and Jason Nguyen (ex Vue de monde) serve up a procession of precise plates that might include Bannockburn chicken with hazelnut vinaigrette, dry aged duck with young pine cones (harvested from the estate’s forest) or stunning shaved calamari with seawater onions.
MARY’S BURGER
Hip Sydney burger joint Mary’s has turned a couple of successful past pop-ups into a permanent residency.
In its new 140- seater found by looking for a red light down an alley off Franklin St in the city, Mary’s Melbourne offers American-style cheeseburgers and fried chicken served with forward-looking (mainly Victorian) wines and beaut beers.
Dark and dim and very (very) loud, with its motto of “get fat”, Mary’s has made its mark on Melbourne.
THE COOKIE BOX
Let your inner Cookie Monster fly at this new dessert destination in Chapel St, Windsor, where the cookies are chunky, gooey and bang-the-table good.
Each is hand rolled, rested for 48 hours to develop the flavour and baked fresh daily, with nine flavours – churros with a dulce de leche filling and raspberry and white chocolate among them – as well as indulgent cookie bowls teaming ice cream, fruit or nuts.
CHANGE COFFEE ROASTERY
It’s changing the world, one cup of joe at a time. World Vision Australia’s first social enterprise, Change Coffee, aims to transform those living in poverty by raising funds for its programs that economically empower women across the globe.
Fairtrade coffee beans are small-batch roasted in Blackburn to three blends – an all-round purpose blend, an Ethiopian yirgacheffe, and a decaf.
Try this coffee with a conscience at Little Things cafe in Blackburn before grabbing some beans for a brew at home.
HOTTEST DISHES AND MEALS
LONG LUNCH AT GUILFORD VINEYARD
It’s the antithesis of the multimillion-dollar Mornington winery, but Guilford Vineyard on the Midland Highway between Daylesford and Castlemaine proves that (very) good things do indeed come in small packages.
Overlooking the vineyard from the rustic cellar door and “bush grotto” open-air dining room, every weekend chef Zac Grumont serves up a changing feast at the can’t-be-beat price of $55 a head.
Organic tomatoes with housemade labne, cured beef with picked green walnuts, and chicken liver pate with pickled cherries and terrific sourdough is just one of four courses of sharing plates that might end on a tamarind pie high.
Add a glass or two of something from the Guilford Vineyard Cellar and you have one of Victoria’s loveliest long lunches, sorted.
DUCK AT OMNIA
The roast duck is an early signature of Steve Nairn’s kitchen at South Yarra’s glamorous Omnia, and while spending almost 100 bucks on a whole duck might seem excessive, what if it’s the best duck you’ll eat?
A glorious bird is presented to the table whole then carved in the kitchen, its glossy, honey-lacquered, brittle skin covering deeply magenta flesh that’s tender as a whisper but with enough gamy chew to make it go-back-for-more irresistible.
A couple of small roasted turnips, some bitter orange puree, and its legs, expertly confit with crisp skin and fall-from-bone flesh served alongside, finishes a dish that’s quite simply sublime.
FRIED CHICKEN FRIDAYS
It’s already one of the best spots on the Mornington Peninsula to wine dine and have an arty ol’ time, but chef Phil Wood has given yet another – and perhaps the most compelling – reason to visit the winery-sculpture park-restaurant Pt Leo in Merricks: fried chicken.
The first Friday night of the month is now given over to a celebration of beers and mighty fine fried chook.
On the wine terrace taking in the views of the vineyard and sculpture park beyond, $45 a head gets you Wood’s special fried chicken, cobb salad, glass of Pt Leo wine or Jetty Road beer.
Now that’s a finger lickin’ way to start the weekend.
THE BIG MAC DADDY AT PIE THIEF
They had us at lasagne pie. At Footscray’s Pie Thief – a sister venue to the cool craft beer joint Bar Josephine next door – the humble pie has had a makeover and in the process has stolen our hearts.
Decadently buttery, flaky-yet-sturdy pastry is filled with such clever concoctions as duck cassoulet, massaman curry and that bolognese-filled, oven-burnt pasta sheet-topped beauty.
But straight from the where-have-you-been-all-our-life files, they’ve taken the world’s most famous burger and put it into pie form.
With a mix of (two) all beef patties, pickles, onions and cheese in a sesame seed-topped case, it’s unmistakably delicious – the special sauce served on the side an especially nice touch.
A proper happy meal.
SAUSAGE ROLLS AT FALCO
It might be the Double Patty Smash pie that brings in the crowds to Falco, but it’s Melbourne’s best sausage roll that’ll bring them back.
This new Smith St bakery, from the team behind Bar Liberty, nods to its past life as Rockwell & Sons – hence that dangerously delicious pie – and puts baker Christine Tan’s time spent at San Francisco’s Tartine to excellent use on its range of sourdough and country loaves to go, huge doorstop sandwiches for lunches on the run, and that sausage roll.
All-Aussie pork sourced from master butchers Meatsmith across the road wrapped in buttery puff, it’s meaty, juicy and deliriously good. Make no mistake, Falco is on a roll.
TABLESIDE TARTARE AT CUTLER & CO
While seemingly every Melbourne wine bar and mod Oz bistro has some form of tartare on their menu, there’s only one place where it comes with a side of theatre.
At the bar at Fitzroy’s still glamorous, still fabulous Cutler & Co, your steak tartare is whipped up tableside to your taste.
First, an emulsion of mustard, oil and yolk is created to which roughly chopped rump cap from Gippsland’s O’Connor and traditional seasonings – chopped shallots, cornichons, capers – are added.
Flavoured with worcestershire and a healthy shake of Tabasco, sprinkled with chives and draped with anchovy fillets, it’s served simply with a side of fries and a perfectly dressed green salad. This is dinner and a show that’s all class.
STEAK NIGHT AT THE PRINCE PUBLIC BAR
It’s been a long time since it hosted dollar pots on a Monday night, but St Kilda’s legendary loved home of louche and loose good times, the Prince Public Bar, is again pouring pints.
While the makeover of the Art Deco beauty at the hands of IF Architecture is in keeping with next-gen St Kilda, colourful locals are welcomed anew in the reborn pub for beers and burgers and breakfast, too.
Counter meals, weekday lunches for $15 and Tuesday and Wednesday steak nights, where 19 bucks gets you 250g grass-fed sirloin, chips and salad, deliver mighty big bang for buck – just like the dollar pots of yore.
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HOTTEST FOODIE AREAS
MORNINGTON
This summer saw a swath of top new nosheries open on the Mornington Peninsula, adding serious firepower to its already full wine-dine dancecard.
At Moke(from Flinders’ former name, Mendi-Moke), Micheal Cole – reigning Australian professional chef of the year and longtime Flinders Hotel chef – is offering peninsula produce that teams terrific technique with country-style generosity in an intimate 30-seat dining room.
Martha’s Tableon the marina at Martha’s Cove sees chef Joel Alderson (Pt Leo, The Windsor) put a wood-fired grill to good use on peninsula produce across two venues: a breakfast-through-night bistro and more formal restaurant.
Brigitte Hafner (Gertude St Enoteca) has opened a B&B (Graceburn) and osteria (Tedesca) double act in Red Hill, while Arillaadds grazing-style feasting to Boneo Park’s equestrian charms with walking off lunch through the Tootgarook Wetland an added bonus.
And chef Paul Wilson has given a sustainable seafood focus to Morgan’s on the Sorrento Esplanade – the seafood linguine is jump-in-the-car-NOW good.
BRUNSWICK EAST
A raft of new openings has given postcode 3057 a strong claim to Melbourne’s hottest food suburb in 2020.
Underneath one of the apartment developments that have devoured Lygon St, Faye sees chefs Daniel Naylor and Marcus Dimabuyo (both ex Aubergine, Canberra) join with winemaker Rhen Dodd (Emphera Wines) in a food-focused wine bar.
The daily changing menu might include knockout smoked-poached mussels to start, housemade ricotta scented with fig leaf to follow and decadent pappardelle with tripe and octopus. Euro leaning wine complements with class.
Up the road, from the talented duo behind North Carlton’s Neighbourhood Wine comes Old Palm Liquor offering Almay Jordaan’s similar wine-friendly fare and Simon Denman’s forward-looking organic/biodynamic minimal intervention wine list featuring 300-odd bottles.
The fried shallot – with a squiggle of cashew cream and pickled jalapeño – is vegan snacking par excellence.
Alchemy Brewing is the newest microbrewer to call the suburb home, where it’s all about platters of cheese and charcuterie, toasties and games of pool to go with the IPA, lager and pale ales brewed on site.
They join ETTA, possibly Melbourne’s most lovely local that’s worth travelling to from afar – if only for new(ish) chef Charley Snadden-Wilson’s sourdough with cacio e pepper butter. Wow.
HOTTEST FOOD EVENTS
MAXIMUM CHIPS
Did someone say all-you-can-eat chips? Hell yeah! Get ready to bring out the stretchy pants for Maximum Chips – the hot potato chip chow-down hoedown that’s this year’s Melbourne Food and Wine Festival’s carb-tastic opening night party.
Just $32 will get you all the crinkle cuts and shoestrings and French fries you can handle and a drink and entertainment, too.
At the festival’s new Queen Victoria Market hub, it’s a Fry-yay not to miss, kicking off the festival with crunchy class.
SHED X
This year’s Melbourne Food and Wine Festival running from March 19-29 has a keen focus on events that are free for all.
Taking over the Queen Victorian Market for both weekends of the festival, Shed X Talks brings some of the world’s culinary superstars and rising talents together for talks and demonstrations sure to offer much food for thought.
Whether it’s New York food writer Alison Roman, Melbourne expat Helen Goh from Ottolenghi, Chinese cookery expert Fuchsia Dunlop or Auckland’s Ed Verner among many more, there’s sure to be someone – or something – to whet your appetite.